The Resume of God

Introduction

Opening Illustration. Malcolm X. November of 1963, Kennedy is assassinated. Defying the orders of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the NOI, Malcolm X gave a statement to the press in which he called the assassination of Kennedy a mere matter of “chickens coming home to roost”. Little did Malcolm know this statement would have dire, life ending consequences. Not only would it cost him his life, even more so it would cost him his relationship with the man he admired the most in his life. Spike Lee sought to depict this in the film adaptation. The curtains close, separating Malcolm from the presence of Elijah. Elijah’s presence in his life was permanently gone.

Point: Like Malcolm with Elijah, Israel has sinned and messed up badly…And when we come to our text we are left wondering if God will close the curtain on his relationship with Israel, banishing them from his presence forever? And yet, we are astonished to discover that God refuses to close the curtain, and in an insane act of mercy and grace the people of God are guaranteed the face and presence of God. Something they did not deserve.

Creating the Need:

It was C.S. Lewis who once wandered in on a lively discussion centered around the uniqueness of Christianity- what differentiates it from all of the other religions in the world. Lewis abruptly interjected, “That’s easy: Grace.” Like the NOI, every other world religion centers on works. The operating system of Christianity is all of grace.

My adventures in legalism. And yet Christians have always struggled with living into our distinctive, of living into grace. Church I grew up in. NO AC and NO GRACE. Bible college I went to. When the church doesn’t get grace one of two things happen: 1. Create irreligious people who give up on the faith because it’s too much of a burden for them; or 2. Create self righteous older brother Pharisees. We have to understand grace.

Law produces guilt and shame which will never change the fundamental structures of our hearts. Grace produces humble, joyful obedience.

Grace and Mercy Exist Because My Sin Exists- Exodus 34:1-2

Exodus 34:1–2 ESV

The Lord said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain.

Explanation: In Exodus 3:13-14 God calls Moses and gives him his job description. In one of the most insane upsets of all time, God delivers tiny Israel from the mighty Egyptians and opens up the red sea. Not long after that Moses is on Mount Sinai communing with God. The people are anxious and call Aaron to make an idol- a golden calf- and have the nerve to say that it was this idol who delivered them. God sees this of course and says to Moses, that’s it, my presence will not go with them. I will send an angel ahead and will fight your battles and get you to the promised land, but I’m not going with you. You can have my benefits just not my presence.

Application. Quick text message. Most of us would have jumped at that, tell the truth. Give me your benefits and not the responsibility of your presence. Give me money, not you. Give me the promised land of a great career without you. Give me great health without you. That’s some of us. But Moses will not have it. He says i’m not going without your presence, it’s what sets us a part. Show me your glory. I want to know you. Is that you?

Explanation continued: Our text answers those two questions. Glory and knowledge of God. God says are you crazy. You’ll see my exhaust. First words are mercy and grace. POINT: WHEN WE SEE THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF ISRAELS SIN WE MUST CONCLUDE THAT MERCY AND GRACE ONLY EXIST BECAUSE MY SIN EXISTS. WOW! MERCY AND GRACE ASSUMES FAILURE. DISCLAIMER: MERCY AND GRACE ARE NOT LICENSE TO SIN BUT A STIMULUS TO HOLINESS- ROMANS 6:1.

John Newton Illustration/Quote: Slavetrader. Deplorable. God reached down and got him. Became a pastor. Not big into his birthday but his spiritual birthday. In old age he said these words, “Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior”- John Newton. See the connection between sin and grace.

Application: We get this when our kids are learning to walk. Get the phone, stream on IG live…so proud. They fall. We never yell IDIOT. We rush in with grace and mercy and invite them to get back up. But now that same kid 15 years later throws a party at your house while you’re gone and he’s met with condemnation, even maybe emotional withdraw...

IF MERCY AND GRACE ONLY EXIST BECAUSE SIN EXISTS, THEN WE NEED TO ASSUME SIN AND FAILURE IN OTHERS. SO INSTEAD OF BEING SURPRISED BY SIN, WE ARE BETTER PREPARED TO DEAL WITH SIN.

OUR RESPONSE TO OTHERS SIN IS OFTEN TIMES GREATER THAN THEIR SIN. RESPOND WITH LAW IT WILL DEVASTATE THEM, MAKING THEM INSECURE AND HOPELESS OR SELF RIGHTEOUS. RESPOND WITH GRACE IT WILL TRANSFORM THEM.

(But wait a minute, does grace and mercy mean a free for all when it comes to people’s behavior where one never experiences consequences?)

God’s Mercy and Grace Secures My Relationship with Him

Explanation: Our text is very clear: Mercy and Grace is not the absence of consequences, but guarantees the presence of God. Look at verse 7…WILL THERE BE CONSEQUENCES FOR LYING, ETC??? YES! BUT REMEMBER, ALL OF THIS IS IN THE CONTEXT OF MOSES PLEADING WITH GOD NOT TO WITHDRAW HIS PRESENCE. AND WHAT DOES GOD DO? HE COMES IN A CLOUD- WHAT LEAD THE PEOPLE OF GOD BY DAY FOR YEARS, AND WHAT FILLED THE TABERNACLE AND THE TEMPLE, ALL A STATEMENT OF HIS PRESENCE. HIS COMING IN A CLOUD AND ANNOUNCING HIS MERCY AND GRACE IS HIS WAY OF SAYING I’M NOT LEAVING YOU. YOU HAVE MY PRESENCE!

POINT: GOD’S MERCY AND GRACE THEREFORE MEANS THAT WHILE I WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR MY SIN, AND THERE MAYBE A QUESTION AS TO WHAT THOSE CONSEQUENCES ARE, THERE IS NEVER A QUESTION AS IT RELATES TO MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. HIS PRESENCE IS ALWAYS WITH ME.

Illustration: From Philip Yancey. Girl in Michigan who was always rebellious. Runs away to Detroit. Becomes a prostitute and hooked on drugs. Comes to the end of herself. Sends a telegram home, I’m coming home, will you let me in. Shows up at the station and there’s fifty people with signs welcoming her home. A party.

Jesus communicated this in Luke 15 with dad running out to prodigal. Not a servant, a son! Scriptures- Romans 8:35-39;

Applications: To be like God then means we are people of mercy and grace. And if mercy and grace guarantees the presence of God in our lives, then Christians must be the slowest one’s on earth to withdraw their presence/break relationships with others:

While we can fire someone and still have a relationship with them…take our kids phone away and still have a relationship...

This has implications for:

marriage

friendships

family members

co-workers

church members

God’s Mercy and Grace Covers Every Aspect of My Life- Exodus 34:6-7

Explanation: An astounding passage. In Exodus 3:13-14 we get God’s job title- I AM…In this passage we get God’s resume- a list of character traits.

Resume Illustration: My doctors wall. I am more than qualified to deal with the issues you are facing, to be in relationship with you.

Point: Did you know that these verses are repeated almost verbatim many times in the Bible. Even more so, they are applied to all kinds of situations. In other words, these verses, God’s resume, his mercy and grace doesn’t just cover our failures and faults, they cover all of us:

Covers God’s call on my life/work. Nehemiah. When they are building the wall and are facing all kinds of opposition as it relates to God’s call.

Cover’s our emotions. When David was wrestling with fear and feeling overwhelmed and depressed he encouraged himself in the LORD by reminding himself of God’s resume, of God’s mercy and grace.

Covers our enemies. Jonah 4:2…Jonah said he ran away because he knew God’s mercy and grace could even reach the vile Assyrians. Who is in your life that you look at and subconciously think, Yeh right? Who have you stopped praying for salvation for?

Covers our sins, of course. Listen to Joel 2:12-13.

Of the comprehensive grace and mercy of God, David said, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever!” You know what He is saying? God’s grace completely covers me and guarantees my experience of the presence of God!

Closing Illustration: My baby sister is adopted. In an act of grace, my parents chose her. All of her life we can say she has been covered by the grace of my parents. Home and food and clothing. Grace. Private school tuition and college and medical school covered by their grace. When they die they will leave her a portion of an inheritance. So that in their death covered by grace. Mercy and grace has surrounded her.

Hymn…let thy goodness...